This very timely event has been organised by FIT Wellington, who collaborated with Save the Basin on our Pizza and Panel Evening in 2014. With the future of Wellington’s transport system now very much on the table, this will be the place to be on Wednesday 2 December.

Are we on track?

Come and hear a discussion of the merits of Bus Rapid Transit or Light Rail for Wellington.

As Wellington Scoop has reported, Community campaigning group Action Station has made a vital contribution to the campaign to save the Basin Reserve from a massive motorway flyover which the New Zealand Transport Agency wants to build there.

Despite a Government-appointed Board of Inquiry ruling in 2014 that a Basin Reserve flyover should not go ahead, the New Zealand Transport Agency took the matter to the High Court in July, attempting to overturn the Board’s decision.

NZTA is able to spend millions of dollars in taxpayer money to pursue its flyover obsession, which puts community groups such as the Save the Basin Campaign and the Mt Victoria Residents’ Association, which jointly opposed NZTA’s appeal in the High Court, at a huge financial disadvantage.

Save the Basin Campaign spokesperson Tim Jones said “We’re delighted that Action Station agreed to help with our fundraising. Their support allowed us to reach a new audience and provided a crucial boost to help us meet our fundraising target for our legal fund. Our supporters may not be able to spend up large with taxpayer money, as the Transport Agency does, but they make up for it with determination and commitment.”

For Action Station, Nina Atkinson said “ActionStation exists to make it easy for progressive New Zealanders to take action on the issues they care about. Hosting the crowdfunding campaign and asking our community to chip in for this people-powered effort was the very least we could do and we’re so glad it helped.”

Fundraising through Action Station raised close to $2000 for the legal fund. The cheque handover took place at Tuesday lunchtime at the northern entrance to the Basin Reserve, near where NZTA wants to impose the flyover monstrosity. The High Court hearing on NZTA’s appeal finished on 31 July, and the hudge’s verdict is now awaited.

Local groups that believe the decision by the Board of Inquiry into the Basin Bridge project should stand, are energetically raising funds to defend the decision against the New Zealand Transport Agency’s appeal to the High Court.

At the same time, they are taking the lead by organising an event to discuss what could happen next at the Basin Reserve in the context of Wellington’s development as an attractive, liveable and modern city.

The event, entitled “No Bridge at the Basin – What Now?”, is being organised by the Save the Basin Campaign Inc. and the Mt Victoria Residents’ Association, in partnership with the recently-formed group FIT Wellington (Fair, Intelligent Transport Wellington). It features a panel chaired by Mary Varnham and including Julie Anne Genter, Russell Tregonning, Sarah Poff and Michael Kelly.

Save the Basin Campaign spokesperson Tim Jones said, “Despite the fact that the Basin Bridge Board of Inquiry made the reasons why a flyover at the Basin Reserve should not be built very clear in its report, the New Zealand Transport Agency and local authorities have failed to take its findings on board. ”

The New Zealand Transport Agency’s appeal against the Board of Inquiry’s decision to decline resource consent for a Basin Reserve flyover is set to be heard in the High Court starting on 20 July 2015, and the Save the Basin Campaign and the Mt Victoria Residents’ Association will be jointly represented at the hearing by Matthew Palmer QC.

“This event gives Wellington residents who support the Board’s decision an opportunity to talk about what they want for the Basin and for Wellington’s transport system”, Tim Jones said, “as well as contributing towards the costs of our legal representation at NZTA’s appeal.”

The Pizza & Panel evening is being held on Thursday 12 March from 6-8pm at New Crossways, 6 Roxburgh St, Mt Victoria. Admission (including the cost of pizza) is $20 full/$10 concession.

Who: You, your friends, neighbours, colleagues and networks! In fact, anyone interested in the future of the Basin Reserve and of Wellington’s transport system.

Why: Because our local authorities, given the opportunity by the Board of Inquiry decision to take a fresh look at the Basin, have chosen to hide behind NZTA’s appeal process instead. So it’s time we, the people of Wellington, took the lead.

The Pizzas: We’ll be taking orders at the start of the event and having pizzas delivered during the event. BYO beverages.

The Panel: We have an excellent panel lined up, including three speakers (Julie Anne Genter, Michael Kelly and Sarah Poff) who appeared as expert witnesses at the Board of Inquiry:

50 % of the world’s population lives in urban areas. By 2050 this will increase to 80%. Life in a mega city is both enchanting and problematic. Today we face peak oil, climate change, loneliness and severe health issues due to our way of life. But why? The Danish architect and professor Jan Gehl has studied human behavior in cities through 40 years. He has documented how modern cities repel human interaction, and argues that we can build cities in a way, which takes human needs for inclusion and intimacy into account

Save the Basin are hosting a fundraising screening of “The Human Scale” on Saturday.

Valentine’s Day gave Wellingtonians an opportunity to share why they love the Basin Reserve precinct as it is, without a flyover. Attendees at the “Love the Basin” event wrote ‘love notes’ to the Basin Reserve and numerous passers-by waved and tooted to show their support for the cause to stop the proposed construction of a flyover at this iconic site.

Save the Basin Campaign spokesperson Tim Jones says: “Friday’s event at the Basin Reserve was a great illustration of the depth and breadth of opposition to the flyover. Wellingtonians do not want a flyover at the Basin Reserve and will not be steamrolled by the NZTA.”

Save the Basin Campaign were heartened by the number of supportive people driving past Friday’s event with bus drivers, taxi drivers, private vehicle owners and even a couple of people driving Wellington City Council vans tooting to show their support for the cause.

A selection of love notes written at the event are below, with the full listing posted on the Community Gallery page of Save the Basin’s website.

I love the Basin because…

“I had school sports here as a girl and played cricket and enjoyed attending marching girls and soccer.”

“It’s one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world and it deserves to stay that way.”

“It’s part of our heritage.”

“It’s a unique cricket ground. I hate the flyover because it’s a short-sighted solution and Wellington does not need it!”

“On my trips to Wellington I always take the time to get down to the Basin to have a wander around or take photos of the ground from outside the gates. The Basin holds a special place to me since I love cricket.”

I love the Basin as I ride my bike and this is is always my mellow interlude before approaching the city or the busy Adelaide Road.

I often stop on the south side to west side to sit in the late evening sun. I do not want the noise or visual of the flyover.

But the Love the Basin event is taking place against a background of backroom deals: backroom deals about the future of world cricket, and as recent revelations by Wellington Scoop show, backroom deals between Wellington City Council, the Basin Reserve Trust and the New Zealand Transport Agency:

The Save the Basin Campaign is calling on Wellingtonians to show their love for the Basin Reserve this Valentine’s Day, Friday 14th February, which is also with the first day of the second test match between New Zealand and India.

Attendees at the “Love the Basin” event, to be held at the northern entrance to the Basin, will be invited to write a note stating why they love this iconic part of our city. Save the Basin Campaign spokesperson Tim Jones says: “This is an opportunity for the community to share the many reasons we love the Basin Reserve and why we continue to oppose construction of the proposed flyover on the ground’s northern boundary.”

Tim Jones says that supporters of Save the Basin Campaign have rallied behind the cause for many reasons. These range from the heritage values of the precinct and the fact that it is a world class test-playing venue, through to the unnecessary and ugly nature of the proposed flyover. “There are also many Wellingtonians who enjoy and use the Basin as an open green space with views to the surrounding Town Belt.”

The Save the Basin Campaign is one of a number of community groups and numerous individual citizens who are currently involved in the Board of Inquiry process to review the NZTA’s application for resource consent to build a flyover at the northern end of the Basin Reserve. A final decision is due out later in the year.

The “Love the Basin” event will start at 10am and is being held at the northern end of the Basin Reserve, near the C.S. Dempster Gate. A speech and opportunity for photographs will be held at approximately 10.20am. The event will go ahead regardless of the weather and those that are unable to attend are asked to send a message stating why they love the Basin Reserve to stoptheflyover@gmail.com.

“The Human Scale” is a Danish documentary which has been a huge success at film festivals, including a sold-out festival screening in Wellington. Here’s the synopsis from the film’s website at http://thehumanscale.dk/the-film/:

50 % of the world’s population lives in urban areas. By 2050 this will increase to 80%. Life in a mega city is both enchanting and problematic. Today we face peak oil, climate change, loneliness and severe health issues due to our way of life. But why? The Danish architect and professor Jan Gehl has studied human behavior in cities through 40 years. He has documented how modern cities repel human interaction, and argues that we can build cities in a way, which takes human needs for inclusion and intimacy into account

Save the Basin are hosting a fundraising screening of “The Human Scale” this month.